Jedediah Caesar
JCA-25-SC
After being cast, the resulting resin block used in JCA-25-SC was cut into thin slices obtaining a series of rectangular shapes that resemble ceramic tiles. Usually displayed in grid against the wall or in a corner, the viewer is able to follow the sequence of cross sections to visually recreate the work’s genesis. In this way, Caesar’s pieces embody an interesting x-ray or archaeology of the artistic process itself.
Jedediah Caesar is more interested in the materials and the process of making a work than in the actual final aesthetic product. Most of the time he begins with a collection of found objects, which he encases in resin, often using cardboard boxes as a molds. The resulting casts are then cut into blocks, flat slices and other shapes—cross-sections of the original objects that nullify their original function and form and transform them into a new kind of material. While the resulting geometric sculptures and the industrial process involved in making them may recall minimalist practices from the 1960s, Caesar’s “metaphorical rebirth” of the materials also gives them a strong, expressive abstract character.